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Monday, December 28, 2015

This sloth was hanging out on the telephone lines and looks like a furry peanut to me

One of the water falls we saw yesterday

Our new friends at the hotel

Hello from the beautiful and warm Costa Rica! We have only been here for one whole day and it has already been an adventure. Yesterday, we went on a hike through the rain forest, in the rain, to see an incredible waterfall. It was a little challenge at parts, especially post-surgery, but so worth it! We have also had quite a few encounters with nature already. We have seen a two-toed and a three-toed sloth, which I couldn't be more excited about. We also saw these adorable little raccoon like creatures this morning from our room. They were incredible friendly and I ended up having to close the door so they wouldn't come inside! All in all though, a wonderful and relaxing trip so far!

You might have noticed the new theme. My sister, Natalie, gave it to me for Christmas. I am still working out the kinks so if there are any problems, please let me know. I would also love to hear all of your feedback! Hopefully we will have even more nature adventures before tomorrow! XO

Monday, December 21, 2015

It is finally starting to cool off here and feel like winter and Christmas! Living in North Carolina, we almost never have a white Christmas so I don't associate Christmas and snow. Every year, it really starts to feel like Christmas time for me after I see The Christmas Carol with my family. This Dickens story is one of my favorite Christmas stories, and if you have never seen the play, I would highly recommend it. Every year when we leave the theatre, I feel that Christmas spirit start to settle over me.

This year has felt even less like Christmas than normal because we haven't decorated. Instead, my family and I are going to Costa Rica for ten days on December 26! I am so excited to enjoy some warm weather and simply relax for a week! XO

Friday, December 18, 2015

As you know, I recently had surgery and my mom has this fabulous rule that every time you need anesthesia, you also need a new pair of shoes. These shoes we have dubbed anesthesia shoes and mine are the ones above! First of all, this is an awesome tradition that I would definitely recommend introducing in your family. Secondly, these shoes are awesome. They are Freebird by Steve which is the luxury version of Steve Madden. I just recently discovered this line and they have some great shoes. I love these because they are the perfect height for me in a bootie and they are secretly platforms so they are very easy to walk in and extremely comfortable. Have a wonderful Friday! XO

Monday, December 14, 2015

Hello! How is everyone doing? I am so excited to be back! Surgery went very well, but it left me bed-ridden and slow to my feet. I am finally starting to feel like myself again although I can't wear jeans or any pants with a button yet. In their stead, I have been wearing my running tights from lululemon. I have never been a sweatpants kind of girl, but these pants are so incredibly comfortable and are perfect for wearing with flowy shirts and sweaters.

As usual for December in North Carolina, the weather has been crazy weird, but let's me experiment with lots of different clothes and outfits. Now that I am feeling better, get ready for lots of posts! I hope you are enjoying your December so far and for all of you students out there...I hope your finals went smashingly! XO

Tuesday, December 1, 2015

Hello everyone! This week is going to be a little different then usual as I am having surgery today. Not to worry, I should be fine in a couple of days, but it has put a little dent in my blogging schedule. I will be back to posting before you know it, but until then, know I haven't deserted you! here is a cute, although blurry picture Natalie and I took over Thanksgiving :) XO

Friday, November 27, 2015

Happy belated Thanksgiving! I didn't post yesterday seeing as it was family time and everything, but a Thanksgiving post is necessary seeing as it is my favorite holiday and all. To answer your question, no, I don't know why Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. It is one of those loves that has grown over time and now I am obsessed with Thanksgiving. Every year, I annoy my family by refusing to decorate or even discuss Christmas until Black Friday arrives. I make them decorate for Thanksgiving and even bought a Thanksgiving sweatshirt this year...I have been wearing it for the past week and it has turkeys and says gobble on it. Of course now that it is after Thanksgiving, I am currently listening to Mariah Carey Christmas music :)

Anyways, I am absolutely obsessed with this dress! I saw it for the time in Anthropologie early this summer and waited all summer for it to go on sale. It has been sitting in my closet for weeks waiting for the perfect occasion and my favorite holiday seemed like a wonderful time to pull it out. I hope you are enjoying your Black Friday shopping! XO

Tuesday, November 24, 2015

Today has been a little hectic with packing, cleaning my apartment, and driving home. But I am finally back and so excited for the Thanksgiving holiday. This week's top 10 is a little article heavy because I've read so interesting articles in the past couple of weeks that I wanted to share with you. I hope you enjoy them and I would love to hear your comments! XO

1. Madewell's fall/winter line was shot in Rome and the pictures are stunning. Especially after living in Rome, I love seeing pictures of places I recognize plus the Madewell collection is awesome :) Here are some of my favorite shots.

2. Taylor Swift performed at the Grammy Museum a couple of weeks and her performance was awesome! Watch it below

3. As you know, I love sequins and a friend sent me this article on the history of sequins a few days ago. No surprise, I fan-girled the entire time.

4. If you haven't already heard it, Adele's CD, 25, came out this week. It is just as incredible as everyone is saying so go listen to it. I'm listening to it right now!

5. Olivia Palermo is one of my style icons. For me, a style icon is someone who has incredible style that I don't necessarily want to copy, but who inspires me to experiment with my own style. For me, that is Olivia Palermo and I read a very interesting article on her this week.

6. I always have a pair of headphones in my bag and they are always tangled. Finally, I think my dad was annoyed with all of my complaining and gave me a cord taco to keep my headphones untangled. Not gonna lie, I'm obsessed with my cord taco and I feel cooler just saying cord taco :)

7. Last article, I promise. If you don't already read the Man Repeller, I would really recommend it. Leandra is hilarious and not afraid to say what she things. In this article, she very poignantly describes how people feel when they are writing an Instagram caption. Read, laugh, enjoy

8. The AMA's were Sunday and while I wasn't able to watch them, I caught up on the styles yesterday. My three favorite looks? Zendaya and her hot pink shoes, Ashley Benson in her forest green suit, and One Direction who just looked incredible.

9. It is finally Thanksgiving break, which I am excited about because I have a break from class, but I'm also very excited because Thanksgiving is my absolute favorite holiday! These is just something about Thanksgiving that I love and look forward to every year.

10. If you didn't already know, J.Crew is having a huge sale right now, so go check that out. But while I was looking through the sale, I found these awesome pajamas that I can't wait to wear this winter!

Sunday, November 22, 2015

So as you've probably noticed, I've been wearing a lot of turtlenecks recently and sometimes, they can be a little difficult to accessorize. The key to rocking any turtleneck, is bold flats, cuffed or cropped jeans, and a statement necklace. A statement necklace is perfect for a turtleneck because the turtleneck draws attention to it and perfectly displays it. Of course, I chose a pink one because pink is an incredible color! More turtlenecks to come I'm sure! XO

Friday, November 20, 2015

Turtlenecks have always been one of my favorite things. When I had short hair, they were a necessity especially in winter to keep my neck warm. Now, they are just my favorite piece to wear no matter what season. This turtleneck from J.Crew is my absolute favorite for a couple of reasons. One, the color, which I like to call Merlot. Depending on what I pair it with it is either a dark purple or reddish purple. Jewel tones are always a good color for me so that was a no-brainer. Two, it is a thin material so it is extremely easy to layer when it's colder and a great transitional piece. It comes in quite a few colors and I would definitely recommend it! XO

Tuesday, November 17, 2015

So this week's top 10 is very music focused as lots of exciting things have happened involving music and artists that I love this week. XO

1. Y'all know my two best friends, Kate and McKenzie. They frequently make appearances on here and McKenzie has her incredible blog, The Z List. Well, McKenzie and I finally convinced Kate to start her own blog, Gambling on the Stars! I am very excited to now live in a house full of bloggers and y'all should make sure to check out both of their blogs :)

2. One Direction just released their newest album and it's pretty awesome! My favorite song so far is Infinity :)

3. I am a huge James Bond and the newest film, Spectre is incredible. Sam Smith sings the title song (so how could it be bad) and it was so well made. A must see if you are looking for something to do!

4. I have not been the biggest Justin Bieber song in the past, but I really love his new album, Purpose. It is definitely worth a listen.

5. J.Crew is having an incredible sale right now and y'all know how much I love "The Crew." I know where I'll be this weekend!

6. Adele released her second single today and it is just as show-stopping as Hello. I've been listening to it on repeat all day!

7. I'm sure you have been hearing about Paris and all of the other attacks all weekend, but I think it's important that we all just take a second to be thankful for our own safety and pray for those who aren't as lucky.

8. Thank goodness fall is here because I have been dying to wear my faux fur! Here are the pieces I'm most exciting about wearing this fall/winter.

9. Other than fur, I have also been obsessing over vintage clip-on earrings. They take a little while to get used to, but there are some incredible styles available. I shop at my local antique store, but Etsy is also a great resource for all things vintage.

10. This week marks the beginning of the Lefty Living Life newsletter. Every Monday, I will be sending out an email with an update on all of the posts from the last week. Sign up in the pop up you probably just x-ed out of or in the let's keep in touch box on the right! Can't wait to hear from you! XO

Sunday, November 15, 2015

As you know by now, I love everything that sparkles. If I see sequins in a store, I can't help but go in and 9 times out of 10, I will leave with a new article of sequined clothing. As much as I love sequins and sparkles, it can be hard to wear them without looking like a little kid or too much like a fairy princess. The key is pairing sequins with tougher fabrics and other colors, so they aren't overwhelming. What I love about this jacket is that it pairs sequins with army green in a more motorcycle/ cargo jacket style. The jacket wouldn't work in the widget for some reason, so here is the link for it! This way, the sequins aren't so overpowering and it is easier to wear the jacket in general. How do y'all feel about sequins? XO

Thursday, November 12, 2015

It is finally cooler, which means I can wear my favorite fall/winter accessory- faux fur.

To me, wearing faux fur elevates an outfit and gives it that extra oomph to make is an awesome outfit. This sweater is a new addition to my wardrobe. I was a little nervous because it is so long and I don't typically wear long sweaters. However, so far it has been incredible. I have only worn it a few times, but that extra length makes up for the fact that there are no sleeves. It is the perfect compliment to flannel or sweaters so expect to see if many more times before the end of fall! In other news, our adorable puppy Fitz is not so little anymore, but is still doing very well! We are still working on looking at the camera when we take pictures :). XO

Tuesday, November 10, 2015

Typical college student life- I had a huge test this morning, so Monday Top 10 obviously didn't happen yesterday. But better late than never right?! Plus Tuesday Top 10 is more fun to say than Monday so I might permanently switch to Tuesdays. I hope y'all had a great weekend, I certainly did and some of the highlights on this list! XO

1. I am a huge Kate Spade fan. Their stuff is always adorable and is great quality. Recently they released their newest collection- Kate Spade Home. It is incredible to say the least and the promotional photos are beautiful. Here are some of the highlights!

2. My favorite holiday is Thanksgiving, which is normally looked over in favor of Christmas. To remedy this, I am not going to decorate for Christmas until after Thanksgiving and I am also sending out Thanksgiving cards instead of Christmas cards! I will post pictures of the final product once I decide on the design, but Paperless Post has some great physical as well as virtual cards for Thanksgiving, if you are interested.

3. Chocolate and peanut butter is by far my favorite flavor combination and I am obsessed with Trader Joe's dark chocolate peanut butter cups. I am just warning you now, they are addictive so prepare yourself :)

4. This weekend, I was in Chicago for the first time for the BlogHer 2015 Food Conference. First of all, it was an incredible conference and I learned so much about blogging in general, not just food. But, Chicago might be my new favorite city. It was beautiful and so interesting! I can't wait to go back.

5. While in Chicago, I tried deep-dish pizza for the first time. I don't understand while all pizza isn't like Chicago pizza. It was so good! Check out my Instagram for pictures!

6. In Chicago, I met so many bloggers with incredible blogs, however, the most exciting part might have been the final keynote speaker, Sarah Michelle Gellar. I wasn't expecting very much because I knew absolutely nothing about her other than the fact that she was Buffy. However, she was inspiration and her new food venture is very cool. Check it out here.

7. This past week was the CMAs and surprisingly, my favorite part was Justin Timberlake, not the country music. It is definitely worth it to watch his whole performance.

8. If you are in the mood for videos, you should also watch the new Kate Spade Miss Adventure video. I love their videos almost as much as their purses and this one is no exception!

9. Lately, I've been trying to expand my beauty routine by incorporating new lip colors. I just recently discovered Nars Lip Crayons and they are my absolute favorite lipsticks! They are easy to apply and come in a bunch of colors. Best part about them- the color stays on forever.

10. Final Kate Spade thing I promise. These sparkly shoes are my new addiction. They are comfy, sparkly, and bonus, water proof. Basically the perfect shoes. Did I mention they are on sale?

Saturday, November 7, 2015

My new favorite color combination is burgundy and pale pink. They are two of my favorite colors to wear in general, but together, they seem like the perfect fall combination. I am in Chicago for the first time this weekend for the BlogHer Food Conference. You are probably wondering why I am at a food blog conference when I am obviously not a food blogger. Well, as you probably remember, my mom is a food blogger, so originally came to support here. But since being here, I have learned so much about blogging in general so get ready for some fun new changes to Lefty Living Life in the near future. Also, my sparkly boots, they are actually rainbows and are on sale! I actually bought mine a size up and they fit perfectly so go get yours before they are sold out! Enjoy your Saturday! XO

Monday, November 2, 2015

Recently, I have been doing a lot of brainstorming about different series and post ideas for the blog. This Monday Top 10 is one such idea that I am really excited about because y'all can get to know me a little better. It is going to have a variety of things to cool things I've done/ am doing, cool things I've found on the Internet, and other interesting things I'm up to. I would love to hear your opinions on the top ten or even things I should look into for next week's list so feel free to comment! Here goes XO

If you have not already listened to, seen, or all around obsessed over Adele's return and her new single Hello, here is your chance. Not going to lie, I have been listening to it on repeat for the past week.

I am almost always binge watching something on Netflix and for the past couple of weeks, it has been Agents of Shield. The first season wasn't my favorite, but season two was awesome! I can't wait to see what happens in season three! Watch the new season here

My best friend McKenzie has just recently started a new blog called The Z List. It is awesome and you should go check it out! It's great living with another blogger because we can brainstorm ideas, blog together, and take outfit pictures together. Friends who blog together stay together :)

Another blog to read is my mom's food blog, Butter and Baggage. She is awesome and I can tell you from experience that the food is wonderful.

Speaking of blogs and food blogs in particular, Mom and I are going to Chicago this weekend for the Food BlogHer conference. I am incredible excited about this and will be posting regular updates while I am there. Make sure you are following me on twitter, Instagram, and Facebook because I will probably alternate between the three! I have never been to Chicago so if there is anything I have to do, let me know!

I love fall nail polish colors because jewel tones are my favorite. Right now, I'm rocking what I like to call Cabernet- basically a dark red with hints of purple. These two options below have great Cabernet colors as well as other fun colors to experiment with this fall!

Ever since I had my first pixie cut, I have loved turtlenecks and I have been wearing them as if they were winter's hottest trend for years. Well, the fashion world has finally caught on and turtlenecks are back in! I couldn't be happier! My favorite ones are the tissue turtlenecks from J.Crew because they are cute enough to wear on their own, but are also great layering pieces. I have them in black and a dark purple and I can't wait to start wearing them again! Long live the turtleneck :)

My friends and I recently created a book club and for our first book, we are reading "The Gardner Heist" about the art robbery at the Isabella Stuart Gardner Museum. So far it is incredibly interesting. Y'all should read it too and can join our book club remotely!

I am normally not a huge fan of Halloween, but this year, my friends and I decided to throw a party so I decided to make a bigger effort with my costume. For the past couple of years, I have dressed up as Funny Face Audrey Hepburn because I can just throw on a black turtleneck and cigarette jeans, which is super easy. This year though, I decided to be Breakfast at Tiffany's Audrey. The basic look was easy as I already have a black dress and pearls, but finding the crown and black gloves were a little challenging. After fighting through the masses at Party City, I finally found the perfect black gloves and I used a crown brooch I picked up at an antique shop- similar here. The costume really came together quite well and we had a ball! How was your Halloween?

My friend sent me this great video yesterday. You will never guess what it's original purpose was until the end. It's beautiful and a must watch this week, especially with all of the rain we are getting here!

Monday, October 26, 2015

I have never been one to wear sweatpants or sweatshirts regularly. I like my jeans and I feel naked without jewelry on. But this sweatshirt/sweater from J.Crew is the perfect compromise for me. While being warm and comfortable like a sweatshirt, it is also a little cropped with bright blue stitching. I'm obsessed to say the least and very excited to be able to wear a sweatshirt without changing my style! XO